What Is a Website Builder Building Platform?

Learn about website builders and how you can make your own website without coding knowledge.

What is a website builder? When most people design a website for the first time, they rely on a web builder to put it together. If you don't know how to code or design online content yourself, this free platform makes it possible to create and edit web pages without seeing their source codes at all.
WYSIWYG is an acronym that stands for "what you see is what you get", which is true for the content you create on website builders like ours. SITE123 software belongs firmly in the WYSIWYG category because you can use it to build your own website without any coding knowledge. Instead of making tweaks blindly, you can rely on live previews to guide you through each and every change you make. But WYSIWYG web builders are more than just page editing software.

1. Work with a page builder

Fundamental web design consists of two very different worlds: the source code that contains all the vital information, and the way it appears when you display the website in a browser.
The standard free web builder bridges these two worlds, allowing you to change the source code by manipulating elements on the page itself. Sometimes you can literally drag and drop the content, rearranging it and adding new objects, but most templates require you to work within less flexible boundaries.

2. Start with a template

Starting from scratch can be daunting and downright impossible if you don't know the basics of web design. That's why, for most novice web designers, a web builder is only as good as the templates it offers.
Templates are pre-coded designs that provide the skeleton of your website's layout. Some are more customizable than others, but the less confident or knowledgeable you are about web design, the fewer liberties you should take with your template options.
Most already feature color palettes and fonts that complement each other, and spaces to insert your images and text into the design.

3. Learn about web design

Initially, using a WYSIWYG web builder doesn't require any special coding or computer knowledge. It makes web design more accessible because as you select options from menus, the software generates new codes and refreshes the website as you go.
But if you pay attention throughout the process, you can actually use the opportunity to learn more about web design. You can usually view the codes; in fact, some web builders even require you to manually add things like Google Fonts and custom widgets. Simple HTML involves tweaks like font colors and hyperlinks, so try playing with the code by making these obvious changes.

4. Visualize the final product

No matter how sleek and user-friendly your website is, it might not always translate to every user in the same way. By using a web builder that offers a live display mode, you have a better chance of avoiding any common compatibility mistakes.
Use your web builder to preview your content with different screen sizes, devices, browser types, and color settings. Most web builders, including SITE123, even incorporate automatic mobile website optimization taking your website and rearranging it into a phone-friendly layout.